Descent
by Seer
Summary: Xander must face his darkest fear while everyone tries to stop him.


Descent  
  
I own nothing of Buffy the Vampire slayer or anything associated to it. Nor  
do I own anything connected to Spawn, Image Comics along with any other references, inferences, or otherwise. Any other connections or references are accidental and in no way infers ownership or otherwise. Total Au in the  
seventh season.  
Dark horror action maybe a bit of B/X.  
  
"Well, hell!" thought zander. The First just finished beating him down to the ground. At that moment a thought popped into his head. Why in the hell am I here? Why do I constantly be the universe's butt monkey? Buffy sent  
me in here to get the extra gear in order to finish off the first. But  
like every plan involving me I get screwed.  
  
I think the first left, or I just finished dying. All I can feel now is a weird sort of completion to everything. I wonder if anyone cared to see what happened to me. Doesn't really matter, they would just try and blame me anyway. I got to leave a message before I go, I open my eyes and I see a large pool of my blood all around me. I bring my unbroken hand down and I write my message to my "family". "I love you all, remember me. Buffy  
you are my only one, my life, goodbye".  
  
I awaken in a dark room with a rotting smell to it. My eyes focus on a figure standing in front of me. The person is in all black. I notice no breathing. I smell something else? Ah, I know who it is now. I bring my head up and look at him and say in a raspy voice "You know there are other  
types of hair gel on the market Angel."  
  
"Sorry but I am not this Angel, Who am I is unimportant to what you are  
here for." Said the man in front of me. " You are needed in different campaign against the dark forces," " I am sorry to say that usually we ask those who are willing but we are pressed for time so a special dispensation  
has been approved. You have been drafted for the duration of this  
conflict. In essence I own your ass forever." "Kiss my ass you bastard, just what sort of insane ptb are you?" I yelled  
at the top of my lungs. The figure in black just looked on and begins to speak again as if I had said nothing at all. "We will be upgrading your abilities by giving you the combined knowledge of the greatest generals, and warriors in human history.  
Plus, you will be given back the primal abilities but from a new animal  
prime source. You will be the perfect predator: Unrelenting, fearless,  
cunning, and unstoppable."  
  
"Why?" I cried out in desperate fear. "You were always the one to be in the way. No one else was available in the time given. So you were as one  
would say are the last shot in hell."  
  
"Don't worry, you will not remember much anyway, When it is time you will be the last line of defense. Evil has found a way to bring about the end of days no matter what the slayer or any of the other white hats do. So I have been given permission to find and train one person to be our secret  
weapon against the night."  
  
"Now you will sleep and when you awaken you will be back in Sunnyhell. You  
will receive instructions in your mind when it is appropriate. Oh your memory will probably be shot to hell but that is okay. Your snotty little  
scoobies will hopefully give you a chance."  
  
"One last thing before you sleep again. You are heaven's vengeance upon the dark. Never forget you are a machine of destruction. You are the last hero to be called from humanity. You shall bring light where there is nothing  
but dark. You are Celestial Knight."  
  
Interlude 2 years  
___________________________________________________________  
  
Sunnydale, California is an overripe fruit that is on the verge of turning  
rotten from inside out. After the battle with the first the slayerettes have managed to get some form of peace with the occasional vamp or two showing up in the meantime.  
Giles decided that he would stay with the other potentials, reform the Watchers Council all the while keeping an eye on the Hellmouth. Buffy has managed well and gotten over being so self-possessed as before. Willow has learned to be friends with Buffy again along with gaining more control over her powers. Dawn is much better and has blossomed into a beautiful young  
woman. Spike decided to head for LA in order to get perspective on the  
whole soul issue.  
  
But in all the idleness and quiet reflections the slayerettes now have time to mourn the one who couldn't be there to celebrate with, Zander. They all miss him as a friend, a brother in spirit, and the heart of them all. In Buffy's case she has come to the realization that she truly loved Zander. She just couldn't see it herself. Old memories keep coming to her at odd moments of her making Zander feel unwanted and low. Her heart breaks just  
a little more when she realizes just how much she never saw in front of her. Like the time when zander fought jack o'toole in the boiler room with  
the bomb or when he forced Angel to help him find Buffy and fight the master. In so doing reviving Buffy after drowning in a pool of water after  
the Master drained her. So many times.  
  
As he looked into the night surveying the cemetery the name of Zander  
Harris on the headstone began to glow with a blood red flame. Soon he thought the beginning. He hoped the PTB would recognize his contribution in this version of Celestial Knight. Either that or he will spend a long  
time explaining why he violated so many rules in creating HIM.  
  
"What else do I need?" He whispered. "Ah!" he exclaimed. He just saw the slayer approach on her nightly guilt trip session with his grave. "Now the  
fun will begin!' "Let it come!'  
  
Buffy walked up to Zander's grave and noticed the red glow to the headstone and she became very worried. The glow became an angry red with  
it spreading all around the gravesite. Buffy's worry became full-blown panic when the earth began to rise and move away revealing Zander coming  
out of his coffin. Buffy just looked on and passed out on the spot.  
  
Zander finished his screaming at the night to look at his surroundings. It  
was hard to think or move around very well. He turned around and saw a blond woman lying on the ground. He couldn't really remember much about her except where she lived and a strange sense that she is very important to him. His impulses compel him to pick her up and began to take her home.  
He hoped anyway.  
  
He entered the house in his memories. It seemed to be the place. As he opened the door he felt a strange tingle then a severe pain in his back as  
he heard a voice say, "Don't touch her you bastard!'  
  
Willow looked at the dirt covered demon and began a new spell in order to  
destroy it when the demon turned to face her. It can't be! He's dead.  
But the face of the demon looked confused as if he were trying to understand what is happening. Willow told herself that the First taught  
them a lot about demons who masquerade as people they cared about. She wouldn't fall into that trap again. She spoke her spell and the air around  
her started to heat up as the demon burned.  
  
Buffy awoke amid the familiar sounds of fighting and fire. Willow saw  
buffy was awake and yelled to her" Buffy! This thing is like the First! Help me!' Buffy looked on and at once dismissed this was zander. All buffy felt then was an explosive anger then she released her rage upon the still  
smoldering demon zander look alike.  
  
Zander couldn't believe what was happening. The pain of the fire and the severe beating Buffy gave him was overwhelming. His memory started to come back to him and why he here for also. He yelled out to the dark purpose that awoke from him and compelled him to strike Buffy away from him. He then turned and blasted willow with a clue light from his hands. Neither his hate nor his rage dissipated after this. Then he decided to leave a  
message that he was here and they wouldn't forget.  
  
Buffy and Willow awakened to see Giles tending to them and the other  
potentials help putting out the fires. Buffy turned her head to see a burned in message on the wall which said " IT WAS ME, DONOT LOOK FOR ME OR I WILL FINISH THIS FIGHT1' Buffy broke down crying uncontrollably, willow  
began also. Giles fumbled badly to bring calm to everyone but couldn't  
bring it about. Just as things looked totally lost to chaos a being  
engulfed in a black light appeared before them. He looked around at everyone, at the damage to the house and the message from zander and said, " Shit!" "What in the hell kind of mess have you started' exclaimed the  
stranger.  
  
Giles at once recollected his wits and demanded what are he and his  
intentions. The man in black responded 'Listen up, I will not repeat myself. You idiots managed to piss of the last of the Celestial Knights. He was sent here to stop the end of days. He is the only one who can stop this calamity. No one else can step in his place. I want to know why you! " Pointing at Buffy and willow," you would try to kill him. Do you hate him  
so much or do you care so little.' 'As to my name it is Venture.'  
  
Giles looked on and the pace of his mind is exceeding overdrive. His thoughts drift over the implications of end of days and Celestial Knight plus the head balance demon Venture. Buffy asked "What is this to do with  
Zander!' Venture looked on and said, "He is the Celestial Knight. The Knight is Heaven's answer to all the chaotic forces arrayed against them. Whereas the forces of evil are many, the knights are very select and given  
incredible powers in order to check their advance. No new knights have been called in thousands of years. Zander was drafted into his new role and given forbidden powers, powers only reserved for those selected by the PTB. But there was no time to consider the consequences of my actions but it is necessary to find zander and prepare him for the final battle against  
hell's champion.' Giles asked " Who's that?' Venture replied 'A nasty demon that zander once met by chance and never forgot the experience. Its  
name is Violator.'  
  
"If zander doesn't follow through with his destiny, if he is tempted by hell's forces then all hope is lost. Nothing can stand in zander's way and no new knights can be called or his powers are restrained. He is at the  
fulcrum of fate now. His actions will decide the future or the lack thereof. That is why the knights are seldom called they alone choose the path of their own making not in what the sides of light and dark present to  
him. Not even the evilest being dare risk the unknown that they cannot control. It goes for the so-called PTB.' "That's it in a nutshell. You got  
any beer and chips." 


End file.
